Ilya Protas has 3 points, Capitals defeat Penguins to stay in wild-card hunt

PITTSBURGH -- Ilya Protas scored his first NHL goal and had two assists, helping the Washington Capitals to a 6-3 win against the Pittsburgh Penguins at PPG Paints Arena on Saturday.

Protas, a 19-year-old rookie forward, has four points (one goal, three assists) in his first two games. 

“I was still nervous a lot before this game,” Protas said. “But I definitely felt a little more confident, you know? Just was focused on my next shift and just a simple, simple 200-foot game.” 

Alex Ovechkin scored his 929th NHL goal, Ryan Leonard scored twice and Tom Wilson and Aliaksei Protas each had a goal and an assist for the Capitals (41-30-9), who have won three of four. Cole Hutson had two assists, and Logan Thompson made nine saves.

Washington moved within one point of the Philadelphia Flyers for third place in the Metropolitan Division with two games remaining. It would have been eliminated from Stanley Cup Playoff contention with a regulation loss and a Philadelphia Flyers victory at the Winnipeg Jets later Saturday.

“I thought, the first period, I could feel the tenseness of our group,” Capitals coach Spencer Carbery said. “So, we had a conversation between the first and second (periods) because you could tell we wanted it so bad and it was just gripping it a little bit. Just deep breath, we’ve got 40 minutes. Just play the game.”

Anthony Mantha, Noel Acciari and Kevin Hayes scored, and Ryan Shea had two assists for the Penguins (41-23-16), who have clinched second in the Metropolitan. Arturs Silovs made 25 saves. 

Pittsburgh was without forwards Sidney Crosby (lower body), Evgeni Malkin (upper body), Bryan Rust (lower body) and Ben Kindel (upper body), and defensemen Erik Karlsson (lower body), Kris Letang (upper body) and Parker Wotherspoon (upper body). Each is day to day.

The teams will play again in Washington on Sunday.

“It’s a quick turnaround,” Penguins coach Dan Muse said. “Feels like we’ve had a lot of these here recently, just with the back-to-backs. ... It’s going to be important for us to regroup.” 

Aliaksei Protas put the Capitals ahead 1-0 at 1:39 of the second period. Ilya Protas’ pass was tipped in the crease by Wilson to Aliaksei, Ilya's older brother, setting him up for a shot from the left of the net. 

Mantha tied it 1-1 26 seconds later on a wrist shot through traffic at 2:05.

Leonard put the Capitals back in front 2-1 at 6:02. Silovs stopped his shot off a sliding pass from Pierre-Luc Dubois, but a video review determined the puck fully crossed the goal line. 

Dubois left with an upper-body injury after sliding into the boards on the play. No update was provided.

Wilson made it 3-1 at 8:08, reaching 30 goals by tapping in a loose puck above the crease off the rebound of Ilya Protas’ shot.

Acciari chipped in a puck to cut it to 3-2 at 11:47.

Leonard answered in 11 seconds, extending the lead to 4-2 at 11:58 with a shot past Silovs’ left pad for his 20th of the season.

Hayes pulled Pittsburgh to within 4-3 at 16:50, leaving the penalty box and skating in for a wrist shot from the left circle in his first game since March 3.

“Weren’t really getting any wins when I was in the lineup,” Hayes said. “The team has played great all year. I’ve kind of been watching from above all year. It's been a really fun group to be a part of. Wish I could’ve helped more, but trying to help in other areas.”

Ilya Protas pushed it to 5-3 on the power play at 5:56 of the third period, scoring on the rebound of a Hutson shot.

“He’s doing all the little things, which I love,” Wilson said. “Obviously, getting rewarded on the offensive side, but just plays the right way. All the habits, all the little things. On the ice, incredible. Off the ice, a great kid.”

Mantha was stopped by Thompson on a penalty shot after being hooked by Dylan Strome on a breakaway at 8:10. 

“Tomorrow’s a new day,” Mantha said. “We’re going to try to win, obviously. That’s what you do every night. We’re going to fly out there and try to do it tomorrow.”  

Ovechkin scored an empty-net goal at 16:22 for the 6-3 final.

“I don’t care who’s playing, we just need a big win,” said Ovechkin, the Washington captain. “Obviously, tomorrow (Crosby) is probably going to play.”

NOTES: Ilya Protas is the first teenager to have three points in a game for the Capitals since Scott Stevens had a goal and two assists against the Penguins on March 1, 1984. ... Wilson has reached 30 goals each of the past two seasons (33 in 2024-25). He is the third player in Capitals history with multiple 30-goal seasons at age 30 or older, joining Ovechkin (10) and Peter Bondra (four). ... The Capitals and Penguins scored at least seven goals in a period for the sixth time in the history of their rivalry and the first since Jan. 16, 2017 (nine goals in the second period). ... Washington defenseman Rasmus Sandin left the game and was helped off the ice at 5:02 of the third after being hit by Pittsburgh forward Justin Brazeau. Carbery didn’t have an update.